


Rewind & Replay

by ignotumvirtus (aquivera)



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-19 16:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1476286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquivera/pseuds/ignotumvirtus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Series of one shots that explain the episodes of season one in the Bending Brothers' point of view. Mostly Makorra and some Borra if you squint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rewind & Replay

* * *

_speculation: the forming of a theory or conjure without firm evidence_

* * *

 

_"Look, all I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world. And... I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you! I'm so happy to be here! Thank you, Republic City!"_

The radio in the gym turns to static that later emits a voice that sounds like Councilman Tenzin and then static again. Bolin shoots two more discs at the net before rushing over to change the station back to the afternoon soaps. Mako is the only person that knows that they're are one of his favorite things. Bolin turns the dial back and forth, deciding between  _The Moon Spirit and the Warrior_ and  _My Forever Girl_. Both are historical soaps, Mako knows, but he's not exactly sure what they're about (ending your education at the age of eight had its downfalls). Mako can guess it's something based on the former Avatar's and his company's adventures, but Bolin is the one who studied from abandoned texts books and under the more educated triad members' wings, not him. Bolin ends up choosing  _My Forever Girl_ , claiming it has a happier ending. Mako just hopes he won't use those corny pick up lines from the soap on one of those fangirls that he'll be picking up tomorrow tonight.

"So the Avatar is finally in the city, huh?" Bolin throws his brother an easy smile, rubbing the sweat off him back with a towel. Mako sighs, pretending to dodge a waterbending attack before punching at the air with two streams of fire. He counted it as five seconds between the dodge and his retaliation, and in his mind he knows it's not fast enough. He's determined to get it under at least three; and if possible, less.

"She sounds young," Mako remarks, letting his brother know that his words were heard. Bolin nods, already removing his practice gear. Mako looks up at the clock, they still have fifteen minutes left in the gym before the next team comes for their practice, but Mako knows Bolin has a date in half an hour. Normally Mako wouldn't care and force his brother to stay, but after last night's win, he decides to give his brother a break, again. Besides, it looks like Hasook isn't going to show up today either. "By the way, you hear from our no-show lately?" Mako asks, removing his gloves and loosening the guard on his chest.

"Nope," Bolin answers, emphasizing the 'p'. He removes the last of the gear before tossing it in a large bag for laundry, Mako walks over and puts his own in there as well. "He'll show up bro, don't worry, he always does," Bolin assures his brother, hitting him in the arm. Mako nods, looking like he's about to curse out the waterbender again. "But this Avatar, how old is she anyway?" Bolin doesn't really want to talk about Hasook, he hates seeing his brother stress out; and changing the subject seems like the only way out.

Mako shrugs, "They discovered her a couple years after you were born. So younger than me, I think." He's really not sure, but he remembers there was a newspaper clipping his father saved of a little pudgy girl in an igloo. "I think there might be something upstairs in the clippings, let's see." He shuts off the radio and feels his brother following him up the ladder obediently. Mako reaches under a loose floorboard to pull out a box of newspapers articles. His father's favorite thing to do was read through the newspaper, and other read the sports section, his favorite was world news.

Mako vaguely remembers the day the White Lotus discovered the Avatar, his father had jumped from his favorite rocking chair and ran to the kitchen to show their mother. They both laughed about how cute she was to ever even look like the strongest being in the whole world. When Mako asked what was so important about her, the two shared a look and sighed.

"She'll be a hero soon, in her own right," his mother had assured him. His mother seemed to understand something at the time about the Avatar that to this day Mako couldn't figure out. It didn't matter anyway, it wasn't like he was a White Lotus member or something.

Mako finally finds the clipping and he looks down at the chubby girl wedged between two Lotus guards in the picture. Her hair was a in a messy wolf tail, cheeks still covered in crumbs from a previous meal. The shirt she wore road up over her tummy, and Mako humored the thought of what she would look like if they still kept her that well fed.

 _They probably do give her a high class treatment, she probably never starves,_ Mako thought bitterly as Bolin reaches over to grab the paper from him. He skims over the article while Mako sat lost in thought.

"She's awfully cute here," Bolin laughs tracing her round face. "They said she's about five. And... Hey! This was published the year I turned five! That means she's my age!" Bolin looks excited with this information, as if this will insure the Avatar to fall for him or something stupid like that.

Mako snorts, "Did you know Shady Shin ran into her this morning?"

"What?" Bolin gasps and his expression is comical. "How did you hear about that?"

"Ran into him down at the deli," Mako lies easily. In reality he was helping with security for a late afternoon shipment of Agni knows what. But Bolin didn't need to know that, he didn't need to become aware of exactly where the extra cash was coming from for his extra dumplings and those recent medical bills of his. "His entire face is bruised on one side. It looks horrible," Mako continues, watching his brother's expression going from shocked to impressed.

"Wow she must be an amazing bender if she took good old Shin down!"

"Or very powerful and dangerous, according to Shin, there are two more members with even worse injuries," Mako responds warily. He is slightly impressed by the Avatar as well, but it does scare him how she took the very nightmares that haunt him day and night and literally punched them in the face. The type of confidence, skill, and presence she possesses must be something to see.

"Republic City's pretty small when you think about it," Bolin muses, running a hand through his hair. "What are the chances we could run into her?" He looks at Mako, an almost embarrassed expression appearing on his face.

Mako blinks twice, trying to understand what the earthbender was trying to imply. Was he actually trying to say that he was into a girl that he hadn't even met? The  _Avatar,_ no less? Sometimes Mako felt like his brother just chased after girls, for the sake of chasing, not actually for the prize. Otherwise Bolin would've chosen more obtainable girls by now. And maybe not the most beloved woman in Republic City, like the  _Avatar._

"Bo, I honestly don't know," Mako answers, giving his younger brother a stern glare. Bolin pouts, looking back at the clipping, which Mako then swipes from him. "Don't you have a date to get ready for?" Mako snaps, organizing the clippings to put back in the box. Bolin watches his brother for a second before getting off the floor and heading into the bedroom.

"Water Tribe, right?" he shouts to his brother while searching for a dressier shirt.

"Southern," Mako affirms, lifting the article again to skim it. He struggles a bit with the bigger words, Bolin's always been better at reading than he is. "Avatar Korra," he murmurs under his breath, testing the name on his tongue.

"What did you say, bro?" Bolin calls.

"Nothing!" Mako yells back quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason. He impulsively slips the paper into his pocket before shoving the box of newspapers back under the floorboard. He jumps up and heads down the hall to the bathroom. Bolin is already running out the door, and Mako just knows he's late.

"Come back before tomorrow afternoon, please!" Mako begs, but the only response is a the slamming of the door. He sighs, resolving to search for a better time slot for the gym tomorrow. Maybe then that bastard Hasook might think to show up as well.

Mako climbs into the shower, glad to be rid of the days dirt and grime and sweat. He thinks back to the radio, the sound of the Avatar's melodic voice over the static.

 _Too innocent,_  he thinks. Mako can tell from the way she spoke and from the incident Shin explained to him. She knew right from wrong, good from evil, but she didn't know what real evil was. She didn't know what it was like to deal with the cruel world that was constantly rejecting you, the world that forced you onto your hands and knees and demanded nothing but your blood, sweat, tears, and everything you love. The Avatar knew nothing. She was just a sheltered little girl with hopeless dreams and a naive mind. She probably didn't even know what suffering and pain even was, much less how to help those who did.

 _Peace and balance_ , Mako remembers, snorting at the idea. There was no peace or balance, there never had been and there never would be. And if Republic City was entrusting all their hopes and dreams of a better world unto her, now that they finally had a new Avatar to worship, then they were all crazy. Mako couldn't even think to be that stupid. From what he heard, the Avatar had only come to the city to learn airbending, so she wasn't even a fully realized Avatar yet. It was ridiculous, everything about the Avatar and her goals, and just everything she stood for, it seemed so impossible to achieve.

But Mako sees the face of the young girl on the paper in his mind, how stubborn and determined she looked there. He hears her voice in his mind from the radio, realizing how even with the tremor of nervousness in her voice, she still sounded just as confident and strong as her expression implied when she was five. He feels like the Avatar and everything she's about to bring to Republic City is just too good to be true. But Mako decides after a while that if anyone can do it, this naive little girl probably can.

"Avatar Korra," Mako whispers again, silently demanding himself to commit that name to memory. He doesn't want to be like Bolin, who is obviously hoping to catch a glimpse of the city's new shining star. But he can't help it, he's never hoped on anyone or anything in his life. But that's what the Avatar is supposed to do for their people: keep their hopes high.

And now Mako just can't wait to meet his world's new savior.


End file.
